Yarn carrier for hosiery knitting machines



A. HOE-MANN Jan. 14, 1941.

YARN CARRIER FOR HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 15, 1939 Inventor I djlaj mailil Patented Jan. l4, 1 941 UNITED STATES [PATENT OFFICE MACHINES Alfred Hofmann, Palisade, N. 1., assignor to Alfred Hoi'mann, Inc., West New York, N. J.

Application August 15, 1939, Serial No. 290,177 19 Claims. (01. 66-126) The present invention relates to'a yarn carrier of the type incorporated in the construction of hosiery knitting machines, and has for its primary object a construction of yarn carrier in- 8 eluding a removable thread guiding tube and a simplified type of locking device associated therewith, whereby the tube may be readily inserted or removed.

An object of the invention resides in a rotary 10 type of locking element, rotatably supported by the yarn carrier for movement into and out of locking engagement with the tube to control the tubes insertion into, or removal from, the-yarn carrier.

A feature of the invention resides in the simplicity of construction of the locking element and its novel association with the tube and with the yarn carrier so that, by avery simple manual operation, the tube may be locked in position, or unlocked.

A distinguishing feature of the invention resides in the design and cooperation of the locking element with the annular surface of the tube, whereby the tube may be subjected to any desired 25 degree of frictional contact so as to positively lock the tube against accidental displacement.

Another feature of the invention resides in a locking element rotatably mounted to have varying cam action with the tubeso as to compensate 30 for any slight variations in the size of the tube.

Besides the above, my invention is distinguished in the construction of the locking element in the form of a split ring or eyelet so that it may be easily manufactured and secured in position,

35' thereby materially reducing the production cost of the yarn carrier.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction o with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the yarn carrier;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the lower portion of the yarn carrier;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the lower 45 portion of the yarn carrier;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on Line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the locking device removed from the yarn carrier.

The yarn carrier I may be. of any suitable design for attachment to the various types of hosiery knitting machines now on the market, but it is provided with a tubular passage 2 in which is frictionally arranged the thread guiding tube 3.

$5 In the use of the invention, the lower portion of opening 6 formed in the yarn carrier.

this tube may have a slight taper for closer guiding of the thread. I

Associated with the tube and rotatably supported by-the yarn carrier is-a locking device orelement 4 of unique design and construction, and capable of the required degree of frictional engagement with the tube to effectively lock or unlock the same for the ready insertion or removal of the tube. This locking device consists of a ring 5 rotatably associated with the wall of an This ring 5 is preferably split, as indicated at I, so that the diameter thereof may be expanded or contracted.

A portion of the outer surface of the ring is flattened to provide said outer surface with a circular wall 8 and a flat wall 9, for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

The ring 5 has formed integral therewith a flange III that iscounters'unk in one side of the yarn carrier, as indicated at H. The -,opposite edge portion of the ring is upset or spun so as to be countersunk in a recess it formed in the other side of the yarn carrier and thus the ring is effectively locked in place for rotary movements.

The flange I0 is provided with screw-driver engaging slots l3 whereby the locking device or ring may be given rotary movements.

In the use of the invention, the ring or locking device is turned until the flat wall 9 parallels the tubular passage 2 so that the tube may be readily inserted in place in the passage 2. When this has been accomplished, a screw driver is engaged with the slots l3 for partially turning the ring for bringing into contact with the annular surface of the tube the circular wall 8, for creating a binding or frictional engagement between the circular wall 8 and the annular surface of the tube 3. It will be appreciated that, when moving the flat wall out of engagement with the tube and bringing into relationship with the tube the circular wall 8, there will be created a camming action, and this camming action is such as to create the proper frictional engagement between the circular wall 8 and the annular outer wall of the tube.

Due to the fact that the ring is split, this frictional engagement is reduced to the proper degree to lock the tube in place, but will prevent the tube from being subjected to a distorting action. ,Attention is directed to the fact that the tube is of ordinary tubular construction and free of any shoulders or projections whatsoever, the locking device directly engaging the side .surface of the tube.

Of course, it is tobe understood that the locking device may be constructed in various other the invention, which resides in providing a rotatable type of locking device which may. directly move into and out of frictional locking engage ment with theouter surface of the tube, such device being movable relative to the yarn carrier so as to create the proper binding engagement between the tube and the yarn carrier.

What I claim is:

1. .A yarn carrierhaving a removably supported thread guiding tube and a locking element rotatably supported by the yarn carrier and having a cam surface for rotatable movement into and out of frictional engagement with said tube.

2. A yarn carrier having a passage, a thread guiding tube frictionally engaged with the wall of said passage, and a rotary locking cam element movable into and out of frictional camming engagement withithe side surface of said tube.

3. A yarn carrier having a tubular passage, a tube having its outer wall engaged with the wall of said passage, and a locking element rotatably supported by the yarn carrier and having a curved surface to rotate into camming engage-,

with the annular surface of said tube, said locking device including a split ring rotatably supported by the yarn carrier for engagement and disengagement with said tube. j

5. A yarn carrier having a tubular passage, a

thread guiding tube having its outer surface frictionally engaged with the wall of said tubularpassage, and locking means rotatably'supported .by the yarn carrier for movement into and out of locking engagement with said tube, said means consisting of a split ring provided with'a fiatwall paralleling said tube in the removal of the tube, and having a circular wall frictionally engaging and looking with the annular surface of the tube to prevent its removal.

6. A yarn carrier having a tubular passage, a thread guiding tube of substantially uniform diameter throughout having its outer surface frictionally engaged with the wall of said tubular passage, and cam means movably supported by the yarn carrier for direct movement into and out of camming action with-the outer surface of said tube for-locking and unlocking the tube in position.

7. A yarn carrier having a tubular passage, a thread guiding tube removably mounted in said passage, and a locking device associated with said tube, said locking device consisting of a split ring having an annular wall and a fiat wall, the fiat wall adapted to parallel said tube in the removal of the tube, and the annular wall adapted for frictional locking engagement withthe tube to prevent its removal; and flanges carried by said ring and countersunk in said yarn carrier and provided with screw-driver engaging slots whereby the locking device may be rotated for moving said wall into and out of locking engagement with said tube.'

8. In combination with a yarn carrier and its removable tube, a locking device adjustably supported by the yarn carrier for rotatable movement into and out of rotatable frictional engagement with the side surface of the tube to control the tubes insertion into, or its removal from, the yarn carrier.

2,220,027 'manners, without departingfrom thelspirit of.

9. A yarn carrier having a removable tube. and a locking ring rotatably supported by the yarn carrier and, provided with a plurality of surfaces, certain of which are moved into sliding relationship with the tube to allow its removal, and others are moved into fixed relationship with the tube to secure the same against removal.

10. In combination, a carrier having a passage and adapted to be rotated into another position to unlock the tube for the removal thereof.

11. In combination, a carrier having a passage. a tube slidably mounted ,in said passage for movement in either direction, and a contractable looking element movably supported by the carrier for direct yieldable locking and unlocking engagement with the tube.

12. In combination, a carrier having a passage,

, a tube mounted in said passage for sliding movement in either direction within the passage, and a single non-threaded cam element movably mounted in the carrier to one side of'the tube for direct movement into and out of camming engagement with said tube.

13. A yarn carrier having a passage, 2. tube slidably mounted in the passage for movement in either direction, and a locking element movably supported by the carrier and provided with a fiat wall and a circular wall as a continuation thereof, said element being capable of movement in one direction to arrange said flat wall in nonlocking relationship with the surface of the tube and further capable of movement in another direction to arrange the circular wall in looking .relationshipwith the surface of the tube.

14. A yarn carrier having a passage, a tube slidably mounted in the passage for movement in either direction, and a yielding contractable locking element movably supported by the carrier and provided with a flat wall and a-circular wall as a continuation thereof, said element being capable of movement in. one direction to arrange said flat wall in non-locking relationship with the surface of the tube and further capable of movement in another direction to arrange the circular wall in looking relationship with the surface of the tube.

15. In combination, a yarn carrier, a tube slidably supported thereby, and a ring rotatably supported by the carrier for movement into and out of direct locking engagement with the tube.

16. In combination, a yarn carrier, a tube slidably supported thereby, and a contractable ring element rotatably supported by the carrier for movement into direct locking and unlocking engagement with the tube.

.17. In combination, a yarn carrier having a longitudinally extending passage, a tube slidablymounted in said passage for various adjustments, said carrier being further provided with a circular opening arrangedat one side of said passage but longitudinally extending passage, a tube slidably mounted in said passage for various adjustments, said carrier being further provided with a circular opening arranged at one side of said passage but 5 in communication therewith, and a split ring rotatably mounted in said opening for direct yieldable locking and unlocking engagement with said tube.

19. In combination, a yarn carrier having a longitudinally extending passage, a tube slidably mounted in said passage for various adjustments, said carrier being further provided with a circular opening arranged at one side of said passage but in communication therewith, and a cam ele- 

